When Words Fail
by eliaatan
Summary: "Ain't easy for me to find the words. I mean, it is, I find them. But I know they're not always the right ones." She read that same line over and over again almost as if she would find some kind of deeper meaning between the lines. But that's the thing - he never had the right words. Neither did she. (Rated K now but may change later)
1. The Aftermath

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my very first Destiny 2 story!**

 **I have been a fan of the game since its first launch back in 2014. I'm also a huge fan of all the lore and characters in Destiny, but there has always been one character who has stood out to me and has held a special place in my heart for all these years.**

 **This story will be focused mainly on my OC (to be named later) and I have had her in my head for these last five years since the game's release. I am finally ready and excited to share her with all of you, and I hope my writing will help you like and cheer for her just like I have. This first chapter/prologue is pretty short, but I will be writing longer chapters if this is good enough. If you do read this, please leave a review at the end and let me know what you thought!**

 **See you starside,**

 **eilaatan (eye-lah-tan) c:**

* * *

If she could change one thing, it would be sharpening that knife.

Everyone told her that there wasn't anything that she could do, but that didn't make the pain any less valid. He was gone.

Gone for good.

Arrow tried to cheer his Guardian up, but he found no luck. Instead, he gently bumped her forehead. The girl waved her hand and pushed him away. It was obvious that she didn't want to be bothered, so he quietly floated over to a nearby bookshelf.

On it, he found several items and none of them were too extravagant, but all held great importance to his partner. Some books, an old drawing, old letters. There was even an old journal that she had promised to burn but couldn't now. It was all she had left of him. It gave her a glimpse into his past and an idea of the man he was - of who he should've been had Bray not intervened.

Then there was the photo.

It was torn and frayed at the edges, but the four smiling faces of the small Golden Age family could still be made out. There was a man and woman - a husband and wife - and their two young children who were both laughing and doing silly poses for the camera. The woman just smiled at the photographer.

The man, however, wasn't doing a silly pose or looking politely into the camera. No, he was looking lovingly at his wife and he had a protective hand on his oldest daughter's shoulder.

That was her life at one point int time...a time that she couldn't remember. The Collapse had ruined all of their lives. Sometimes she wished that she was never -

"You know, this year will be the five year anniversary since I resurrected you as a Guardian." Arrow said quietly, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yeah. I know" She mumbled.

Five years.

Had it really been five years since she woke up in the Russian Cosmodrome? No memory of who she was before except a name and a floating creature who called himself her Ghost. Not to mention all of the freaky aliens roaming around and her odd instinct to take apart and put a sniper rifle back together.

Yeah...she has come a long way since then.

"I still remember waking up and slapping you out of the air." She said and chuckled, then looked at her friend. Arrow's optics lit a bright blue and his body expanded and retracted, which indicated an annoyed sigh.

"Oh do you? Well, I will tell you that it was NOT pleasant and I still hold a grudge against you for that after all these years."

"Really? Wow, that's a little petty don't you think? How was I supposed to react to a floating object in my face after waking up for a 200-year-old...nap?"

"I...well, I do see your point there. My apologies."

"Thank you."

A small smile crossed the girl's lips and her friend noticed.

"It's nice to see you smile again." He began. "I know it's been hard lately, but you have some good friends around you if you need to vent."

"Yeah. You're right. I just…"

* * *

Suddenly, she remembered that night in flashes.

A gunshot. Then she was running. Now he was on the ground. When she looked up, he had a smirk on his face...and Ace.

She yelled. Her knife flew from her hands.

He got away.

 _"How's...how's my hair…?"_

He always had such stupid jokes. How could he joke right now? Then he coughed.

 _"Don't leave me...please don't leave me!"_

She should have been there. She should have protected him.

 _"...the best bet...I ever...lost…."_

Now he was gone.

She should have sharpened her knife.

* * *

Arrow bumped her shoulder. She shook her head and looked at Arrow, then turned her attention to the family photo on her bookshelf. Tears filled the brim of her eyes.

"I just miss them."

* * *

 _ **To be continued...?**_


	2. Resolve

**Hello! I am happy to say that I got a few favorites and even a review on my first chapter! To those of you who read, favorited, and reviewed...thank you. You don't know how much that meant to me.**

 **I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

 **\- eilaatan**

* * *

It was beginning to feel like her grief would never end.

Months have passed since Cayde's murder, and while his murderer had been killed that fateful day in the Awoken Watchtower, it still didn't feel like she had avenged him. Uldren may have been gone, but there was still one thing that was the same.

Cayde was dead.

Her fireteam tried to help her let go and move on, but nothing seemed to work. It was hard for her to get out of bed - much less get out of her apartment in the City. If she needed something, she would ask her friend Runa to get it and bring it to her.

One day, during a phone call, Runa finally said no.

"What? Why not?"

"This isn't healthy, Andie. You need to get out of the house and live for once."

"I can't. Not since my da- I mean Cayde died."

An annoyed and tired sighed was heard on the other end.

"Don't you dare try and use the grief excuse anymore. It's been four months since that happened...it's time to move on."

"Don't you people get it...I CAN'T!"

Andie hadn't meant to yell, but she did. There was no response from her friend.

"Runa...? Are you still there?"

It was silent for a moment before she spoke again.

"I've tried to help you. Lucas and Oliver have tried to help you. Hell, we ALL have tried to help you move on from Cayde's death. But I'm starting to think you can't be helped. Not without a professional anyway. Don't bother asking me for anything else. If you want something, you can leave your place and get it yourself."

She heard a click from the other end and she knew that Runa had hung up on her. For a moment, she sat there with the phone still on her ear but didn't move. She didn't move much at all these days.

"I wish it were that easy."

After setting her phone down, she curled up and cried for a few hours on her bed.

* * *

Since the Red War, the Tower slowly began to return to normalcy. Well, as normal as it could get without their Hunter Vanguard.

But today, everyone's favorite sport was finally returning: the Sparrow Racing League. With the return of the SRL, that also meant the return of its champion, Marcus Ren.

She didn't know why, but she was always...intrigued by him. Like all other racers, he was a Guardian; a Hunter to be in fact. They had gone on a few scouting missions together but at first, they couldn't stand each other. She had thought he was too cocky and arrogant because of his SRL champion status while he thought she was too uptight and took her job too seriously.

In many ways, Marcus reminded her of Cayde. And oddly enough having that thought comforted her.

 _"Marcus, how do you expect today's races to go? Do you believe you'll defend your title and continue to be the people's champion?"_

 _"Well Katie, I don't like to brag but...yes. I absolutely plan on winning this race today."_

 _"Even after that embarrassing loss to Bast before the SRL went on a hiatus?"_

At that moment, Marcus froze and tensed up. It was true that he had lost once to his friend and fireteam partner Enoch Bast, who was a Titan. It was also something that someone with his ego didn't enjoy talking about much less reminiscing on.

 _"I think we are done here. I have someone I need to go see anyway."_

With that, he walked away and left the poor interviewer stunned and on her own. She attempted to keep the broadcast going smoothly, but Andie shutoff her TV before she could see the rest of that trainwreck.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, there was a knock on her door.

Part of her had hoped that it was Runa so she could apologize, but when she opened the door, she was in for a huge surprise.

On the other side, it was a tall blonde male with light skin. His hair was ruffled and his red leather racing jacket was zipped up halfway.

"Hey Andie," said Marcus. "May I come in?"

* * *

 **I know this one was a little short, but I had some serious writer's block while writing this. Given that, I'm still happy with how this turned out and I am super excited to introduce Marcus because I love his (very little) story lore in the game.**

 **Please let me know what you thought!**


	3. Saturday Mourning

**Here's the next chapter of my story! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Also, I will be posting and updating this story on Archive of Our Own. It will be under the same name as it is here, but my username there is thatmutantkid. Please give it a look if you can! :)**

* * *

An awkward silence filled the air as the two stood there and stared at each other. Was it real? Was THE Marcus Ren, a City celebrity and hero, actually standing at her doorstep asking to come inside?

She thought he hated her.

"I...s-sure."

She opened the door wider so Marcus could enter. When he did, he looked around and let out an impressed whistle. Her apartment was small, but she made sure to keep it clean and organized in case any unexpected guests like Ren showed up.

"Nice place you have here. Definitely better than those closets they called dorms during our academy days, huh?"

Andie nodded her head. His back was to her, so he didn't see it. She was still in shock that she didn't think about giving a verbal response.

"Why are you here? Don't you have another race to prepare for?" She said bitterly. It wasn't intentional, but the last thing she needed was media attention on her as Ren's secret...friend.

"Damn McGrath, no need to be so nasty." Marcus started. "I just wanted to see how you were doing...it's been five months since Cayde-"

"Since Cayde died? Yeah, I know. Thanks for the reminder." She hissed. He was really beginning to overstay his welcome now.

Marcus sighed and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. One thing she never understood was how he kept it looking so nice even after spending hours under a helmet either during a race or on patrols.

"Look...I know you haven't always been my biggest fan. I was an asshole to you at the Academy and wouldn't admit when someone did better than me. Hell, I still don't like admitting defeat to Enoch but lucky me gets that thrown in my face every week after races."

Andie just sighed and rolled her eyes. If he was trying to make some kind of point, he was failing miserably. Even if it started off about her, it somehow always came back to him.

"Is there a point Ren? If I wanted to relive your very embarrassing loss to your fireteam's own Titan, I can assure you that I can find _plenty_ of videos online of him kicking your ass."

An annoyed huff came off his lips as he made eye contact with her. He had an even more annoyed look on his face. She just smirked.

"Look McGrath, if you're just going to insult me, then fine. I get the message and I'll leave. I just came here to check on you because I was wor-"

There was a sudden pause in his sentence. A tomato red blush covered his entire face and he quickly looked away. After that, he grabbed his helmet and made a fast getaway to the door.

"Hey, where are you going? Get back here Ren!" Andie yelled then ran after him. When she made it to the door, he was already gone. A sigh escaped her lips and she shut the door. What had gotten into him?

* * *

Marcus was relieved to finally be home.

When he entered his apartment, he locked the door behind him and threw himself on the couch. It had been a long day not just for him, but for his eccentric Ghost, Didi. After he made himself comfortable, she appeared and bumped his forehead quite aggressively.

"Ow! What was that for?" He groaned and rubbed his now reddened forehead. Sometimes he wished she would just stay hidden in his gear. Especially when she was angry like this.

"Why did you run off like that?" Didi asked, expanding and retracting her shell as a way to show her annoyance with her Guardian.

"What? Do you mean at McGrath's? Didn't you hear how she was insulting me? I wasn't about to take any more of that abuse. I get enough of that from the reporters." He said and groaned from the pain in his head. It was starting to subside now.

"That's not the point. You were about to tell her you were worried about her, weren't you? I don't understand why you don't want to let her know how much you care about her-"

"That's enough Didi! Stay out of this, would you?!"

Another moment of awkward silence filled the air between the two of them. Didi stared at her Guardian for a moment before bobbing up and down as if she were sighing.

"It's okay to be worried about her, you know. She just lost Cayde. He was basically a father to her during her entire Guardian life. Nobody expects Andie to be as okay as she pretends to be. Jade sure isn't' hiding it."

It was true. Jade Vega was an emotional mess. Both she and her best friend had witnessed their Vanguard leader and father figure die right in front of them that fateful night in the Prison of Elders. All while the former Awoken Prince Uldren Sov smirked and waved Cayde's prized hand cannon, the Ace of Spades, around in his hands. Jade was never the same after that night. Andie wasn't either, but she hid her grief much better than her friend had. She still did.

The Tower and its Guardians held a memorial a few weeks after it had happened, and later another memorial for just the Hunters to attend to mourn their fallen Vanguard. Since they were the ones who were closest to him, Andie and Jade stood front and center next to Cayde's casket as one Hunter after another came up to each of them and gave their condolences. There were lots of tears and crying as well as silence in the room.

The day after the Hunter only memorial, it was decided that Cayde would be buried behind an old cabin outside of the Farm on Earth. It was one of his favorite places to go after Ghaul had taken control during the Red War, and it had a beautiful view of the night sky. Andie remembered the nights where both of them would go and sit on the docks and stare at the night sky.

The lake behind the cabin would shine in the moonlight, and they would have heart-to-heart talks and deep conversations about life and mortality since they had lost their Light. There was also another gravestone of a woman - someone else who had meant the world to Cayde in a previous life.

Not only that, but the burial spot was nowhere near a war zone. No Fallen or Cabal enemies to come and ruin his gravesite. A place of peace where those close to him could come and remember their short time together.

A place where his prodigies could come and remember him.

Marcus just hoped that one day...maybe Andie would let him in. Because the Traveller knew that she needed someone to lean and depend on now.

They all did.

* * *

 **There it is! I am actually really happy with how this one came out. It's much longer and I put a lot more detail into it.**

 **One thing I really loved that Bungie did with Cayde was giving him old journal entries and the idea of having a family in his previous life - cue Ace and the Queen - and I was inspired. If you enjoy the idea of Cayde having a family as much as I do, I also recommend another story by another writer on here that's simply called "The Ace of Spades" and "The Last Hand" which are both written by Aurora313. Since you're finished reading my story, I highly suggest reading theirs. It's a good one!**

 **It may be a bit before I update again, but I promise I will. Until then...see you starside.**

 **\- eilaatan**


	4. A Place of Peace

**Well...it sure has been a while hasn't it? My sincerest apologies for that. After I posted my last chapter, I started a new part-time job and since then it has been hard trying to find the time to sit down and write this new chapter. But with quarantine, I finally had time to come back and realize I had this written up and saved in my drafts! After doing some minor edits, I think it's finally time you all got your update.**

 **I am also changing my update format to a biweekly basis, which will hopefully help with my busy schedule while also giving you an idea of when to expect the next chapter. That schedule will take effect starting with this new one. With that being said, here is what I have to offer and I hope y'all enjoy it! - eliaatan**

* * *

In times of war, it was difficult to find somewhere quiet to think. One thing Andie needed to improve about herself was her ability to let go and figure out what to do next in a rational manner. After spending weeks in her apartment alone, she decided it was a good time to finally face this thing head-on and see her friends again.

 _{ Hey, the hermit is finally going out into the world. Are either of you free today? - A }_

She sent a text message to her best friends Jade Vega and Runa Fray, but didn't expect a quick response from either of them. Jade had been mourning Cayde's death just as bad (if not worse) as she was. It was early in the morning - 10 a.m. to be exact - and after making herself a fresh pot of coffee, she heard her phone ding on the kitchen table. The noise indicated that she had a new message, and when she checked it, she was surprised at the answer.

 _[Good to hear from you, hermit. The boys and I missed you. Want to grab lunch later? My treat. - R ]_

A small smile lit up the young Hunter's face and after taking a hot sip of coffee, she set the mug down and sent a quick reply back.

 _{ Sounds like a pretty good plan. Will it just be the two of us or are the boys invited too? - A }_

She added a little more vanilla creamer and sugar to her coffee before receiving the next message.

 _[ I was thinking just the two of us, but we can invite them if you really want to. Otherwise, I would like to talk to you about something. It's important. - R ]_

After reading that message, she frowned. Runa was generally a goofy person so it took something pretty serious for it to become an important conversation.

 _{ Just me and you then. I hope it's nothing serious...or something I've done. See you around noon at the ramen shop? - A }_

A few minutes passed before she got a final reply.

 _[ Noon is perfect. Ramen sounds pretty good too. The owner said he has been wanting to talk to you since...well, you know. See you then. - R ]_

After the text messages stopped, she sighed and set down her phone. Jade hadn't read them or replied to her yet. Andie didn't blame her though - she had been there with her the night that Cayde died in the Prison of Elders. The Arcstrider had taken his death much harder than she had, and trying to get into contact with her since was a real struggle. She sighed and sent her a separate text.

 _{ Hey, Jade...I know you're still struggling with this like I am. But I hope you remember that you have a fireteam and friends who love you. Please call or text me if you need someone to vent to or just be there. I miss you and I hate to see you in so much pain. Stay strong. We will get through this. - A }_

She hit send on the text and set her phone down once again. Her meeting with Runa was soon and she needed to change into her civilian clothes. It was going to be hard to go back to her mentor's favorite food place, but it would hopefully be the first step in finally healing. Cayde had been very good friends with the owner, and he always gave them good deals for being regulars at his shop. She hadn't gone there since the riot at the Prison of Elders. How could she? Going back to get ramen without him almost felt like a betrayal, but at the same time, she knew that hearing whatever the owner had to say would also be important. He was Cayde's friend too...perhaps he was hurting just as much as she was.

* * *

 _ **\- Two hours later -**_

It was lunchtime, and the Tower's denizens were well aware of it. However, the local ramen shop was oddly quiet in all the madness. When the two girls went to investigate further, they soon realized why. There was a note on the shop's door saying that they were closed for the day and would be open again tomorrow. A sigh escaped Runa's lips as she looked around in annoyance.

"So much for those plans huh? I know he's been pretty upset lately, but he could've at least given us a warning...I hope he's alright." The Warlock remarked. Andie also sighed and looked up at the sky.

The air was crisp and cool, so the two friends wore their fall jackets and scarves. They were both on leave from Guardian duty for bereavement, and that left them with time to reflect on their lives and what it really meant to live in a world where they took dying for granted.

"Hey Rue, mind if I take us somewhere quiet? I know a good place to talk. You said you had something you wanted to tell me, right?"

"What? Oh yeah...I did. What place do you have in mind?" Runa asked in response.

The young Hunter thought about it for a moment and remembered that her ship was still with Amanda, who was the Tower's head shipwright. It had suffered a few dents and scrapes during their time in the Reef. While she wanted her precious ship returned, she also wasn't ready to see Amanda again. She had been one of Cayde's closest friends, so she knew that Amanda would pity her the moment she walked up.

"It's a place I like to go to when I need to clear my head. It's in the EDZ, but there aren't many Fallen around. We can take a few weapons with us to be safe but we should be fine." Andie replied with a little bit of confidence. Her friend nodded and radioed for her ship to be ready in the hangar.

"To get to my ship, we have to go to the hangar. We might run into Amanda...are you sure you're ready to see her? Or should I bring it around?" Runa asked inquisitively.

Part of her wanted to say that she would tough it out and go to the hangar with that chance, but right now, she needed to get away from all the pain.

"Bring it around please."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two girls to make it to their destination. One of the things that Andie loved about this location was that it wasn't too terribly far from all the action. If something needed to be done, she could quickly reach Trostland on a two-minute ride via her Sparrow.

Once the girls arrived, Runa was quick to take in the beauty of the area. The trees were beginning to change with the leaves falling and changing color. The air was cool and crisp just like it had been back at the Tower, but the business and dutiful atmosphere that it held was completely gone here. It was quiet and peaceful, which was odd for a planet ridden with Fallen and Taken in other areas. While Runa took in the scenic spot, Andie made sure to get finally find out why they were here.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Runa turned and looked at her best friend. The two girls - a Hunter and an Awoken Warlock - had known each other since they had first been revived and later becoming Guardians. They had been found by their Ghosts - Arrow and Nook - around the same exact time.

While Andie had been the quiet and reserved one, Runa was the more blunt and extroverted one. Many of the recruits saw her as bossy and annoying, so because of that, they avoided her like a plague. But one day, she had seen some boys picking on Andie and quickly ran to her aid. The two had never spoken to each other before that but they both began to talk and realized that they would easily become friends. After training, the two were put on separate fireteams but still managed to maintain contact with each other while eventually introducing their teammates to one another.

It had been a rocky first year, but Andie couldn't imagine her life without them. Runa and her own fireteam, who consisted of a Titan named Lucas and another Warlock named Oliver. As far as she was concerned, they were the only family she had left. Her first life was gone and for good reason so was her blood-related family. Now all she had were her friends and comrades in the Tower.

"It's...hard to know how to say it. I have been thinking about it the entire ride here. But it's something that we need to discuss." She looked away and at the sky again before continuing. "Remember those journals we found? The ones that Cayde wrote about his son Ace? Well, we think he might be a Guardian."

For a moment, time froze. Cayde's journals were all that she had left of her mentor and his previous life before becoming the Hunter Vanguard. Could his son really be alive? It was safe to assume that he died in the Collapse all those years ago. But to think that an important part of Cayde's first life could still be around...that was something she couldn't shake off.

"Do we have a name? Do we know where he is now?" Andie asked. She needed all the details she could get.

"Not yet. But it is safe to assume that he was revived after his first death around the same exact time we were. We know from Cayde's journals that he used to be human before agreeing to become an Exo so he could pay off his debts to Bray, but if he really left a wife and kid behind...then that's huge. That means a big part of him could still be out there and if they are, then we need to find them. For Cayde's sake."

Andie nodded in agreement then looked down at her calloused hands. It was always rumored that perhaps she herself had been the lost kid of the notorious Vanguard, but many dismissed it as being untrue. Sure, the two had a very close bond and Commander Zavala had even reprimanded Cayde for potential favoritism. However, if she was totally honest, sometimes she wished she was Cayde's biological kid from his first life. She had already seen him as a father figure, and their mannerisms were eerily similar in how they act around others; especially authority figures.

"Well, whatever help I can give, I am more than willing. Cayde was my leader and practically a father to me as well so I want to do anything I can to uphold his legacy. I just ask that you keep me in the loop on this investigation." Andie replied thoughtfully.

The Warlock looked at her friend again with a raised eyebrow. Another sigh escaped her lips before she crossed her arms and looked up at the sky again.

"Yeah, about that...we also have reason to believe that Cayde not only had one child but two. The Hidden and I have been conducting a secret investigation into Cayde's past and using his journals as a lead. While it's true that he had a wife and son, there's one other thing being left out: he also had a daughter. She was his son's twin sister."

For a moment, her heart almost stopped. Cayde had a daughter? An actual blood-related daughter who had a twin brother? Andie had a pretty good feeling of where Runa was going with this, but she wanted to make sure.

"Okay...so you think his son is alive and a Guardian with the same years of service as us. What does any of this have to do with me exactly? The Hidden doesn't exactly like making their intentions known to just anyone. Hell, I didn't even know you were part of-"

"Andie, this is serious! I'm telling you this because…"

There was a slight pause in her sentence before she continued. What Runa would say next would change Andie's world forever.

"What...? What are you telling me exactly?"

"I am telling you this because we believe you are actually Cayde's long lost daughter."

* * *

 **Well...that's quite a twist huh? Before you say it in a review, I know the concept of Cayde's kid being a Guardian has been used over and over. But I am going to do everything I can to make it different and stand out from the rest. Thank you so much for reading and being so patient. See you in the next one!**

 **Regards,**

 **eliaatan**


End file.
